Service is attentive, with one woman taking orders, then disappearing into the kitchen to launch into cooking mode. (We also spied a man back there, assisting with food preparation.)

The beauty of the cafe is that it's obviously very hands-on &#8212; and the food is very fresh.

The drawback is that anyone in a rush might chafe at the wait for the food. We had left ourselves plenty of time, so it didn't matter to us, nor to the two men at another table, or even to the family of five who were dining before heading to the cinema across the avenue.

The food was slightly different from what we've eaten at other Vietnamese restaurants in Ventura County.

We've always been fans of spring rolls, and the cafe's shrimp-and-pork version ($3.35) was quite good. It wasn't deep-fried, which was a major virtue. Neatly wrapped in edible rice paper, it was full of shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, shredded carrot, cilantro and mint. It came with a lighter- and tangier-than-usual peanut-hoisin sauce for dipping, another plus.

The Chinese sausage fresh rolls ($3.35) included some of the same ingredients (shredded carrot, lettuce, cilantro and mint) with the interesting additions of jicama, sliced fried egg and, of course, the sausage, which reminded us of slices of hard salami and really pumped up the flavor.

My friend was eager to try the evening's special, lemongrass beef stew in rice noodle soup ($6.95). The surprise was that the stew was stirred into the soup, adding its flavors to the bowl, which included big chunks of potatoes, carrots and yam. The beef was tender and of good quality; the pieces were large, but not many. For the modest price, it was a full meal.

Also in the soup line was a bowl of chicken curry rice vermicelli ($5.35 for the slightly smaller size), again with the curry melding with the soup and the chicken joined by sweet yam and carrot in a base of coconut milk. It was delicious.

I couldn't pass up the sizzling crepe ($7.95) after enjoying others at Vietnamese restaurants. The cafe's crepe was thicker and moister than the crisp, lacy versions that I'd experienced previously &#8212; more like an omelet with the shrimp and pork nestled inside the fold. It was sprinkled with bean sprouts and mung bean, and served with green lettuce, cucumber and sprigs of cilantro and mint, finished with the cafe's fish sauce dressing.

Instead of Vietnamese iced coffee, I went for the hot version with the same ingredients, espresso and condensed milk. It was delivered with the coffee still filtering through a contraption on top of the cup, with extra hot water on the side. When stirred, the sweet condensed milk blended into the strong coffee.

It was perfect with the dessert that came with our entrees, rice and black-eyed pea pudding. The dish was soothingly cool, but didn't pack much flavor with its comfort-food texture.

For those who prefer something lighter, or quicker, the cafe's three sandwiches sound out of the ordinary. All are made on French baguettes and pressed panini-style. The versions are Vietnamese-style ham, shredded dried pork, and a choice of grilled beef, pork or chicken.

We don't know what Vietnam Noodle Cafe does when traffic gets heavy at its tables, but we enjoyed our quiet, leisurely meal. Dining at the cafe is a gentle experience, a time out from the hustle-bustle of the outside world.

&#8212; Rita Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her meals. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at ritamoran@earthlink.net.